Combined oot-



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

C. P. NASH. COMBINED GOT, BED, LITTER, AND CHAIR.

Patente-d June 3, 1884.

`(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. BNASH.'

GOMBINED GOT, BED, LITTER, AND CHAIR.

No. 299,670. Patented June 3, 1884.

lUNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

CALEB P. NASH, OF BEATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT, ASSIGNOE OF ONE-HALF y TO J. EUGENE JACOBS, OF SAME PLAGE.

LITTER, AND CHAIR.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No; 299,670, dated June 3, 1884.

Application filed lApril 27, 15183.'A (No model.)

'To all whom it 4may concern:

Beit known that I, CELEB' l?. NAsH, of Brattleborough, in the county of Windham and State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in aCombined Folding Cot-Bed, Litter, and Chair, of which the following is a speciiication.

This improvement relates to the combined folding cot-bed@ litter, and chair for which, on the th dayof April, .1881, Letters Patent of the United States, numbered 239,664, were granted to me.

The improvement will be described in detail, and then pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of an article embodying' my improvement and extended to form a cot. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same adjusted to form a chair. Fig. 3 is a front view of that portion of the article which forms the rear section of the chair. Fig. 4 is a side view of the article folded up. Fig. 4* is an end view of the .parts which form a bolster when the article is used as a cot. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the two sections of one of the side rails and of a hinge connecting them. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the side rails, one of the j bolster-rails, and a hinge connecting them.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of one of the side rails, one of a pair of crossed legs which support the middle "portion of the side rails, and means connecting said parts together. Fig. 8 is a top view of the end portions of a side rail, cross-rail, and of a hinge connecting them. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the end portions of aside rail, a cross-rail, and of thehinge connecting them. Fig. 9* is a transverse section of the cross-rail and plates of the hinge shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and Fig. 10 is a transverse section of jointed rails comprised in the bolster and a catch for holding them in position.

sponding parts in all the iigures.

The side rails consist of sections A A,hnged together, so that they can be folded,by swinging their ends in a downward direction toward each other, or vice versa, as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 4.. y

VThe cross-rails consist, respectively, of sections B B and G O', which are hinged 1,0. gether and to the ends of the side rails in such manner that they may be folded inward against the inner sides of the side rails.

The hinges which connect the sections of the side rails consist of plates a, connected together by pins passing through ears or bearers in the usual way. These plates bear against the under sides of the sections of rails which they conneet, and they have annular protuberances a', which enter cavities in the rail-sections,and receive screws ci, whereby the plates are secured to the rail-sections. Along one longitudinal edge, preferably the outer, the plates are provided with upwardly extending iianges a?, which lap over the sides of the rail-sections,

and have abrupt meeting-edges, which abut against each other and form a knuckle, preventing the plates from being moved in one direction past the position in which they come into line with each other. These flanges are valuable because they insure the sections of the rails being in line when they are extended, no matter whether the sections have become contracted. The annular protuberances a,by engaging with the rail-sections, relieve the fastening-screws from much strain. Screws or pins maybe inserted through the iianges a3 into the rail-sections, if desirable.

The hinges b, which secure the sections of the cross-rails together, may be of ordinary kind, and they are applied to the outer sides of the sections, or, in other words, to the sides which are at the ends of the frame when the rails are extended to form a cot.

The hinges which connect the cross-rails and the side rails severally consist of aplate, c, appliedto the outer side of the end portion of a cross-rail section, a plate, c', applied to the inner side of such cross-rail section, spurs d d', formed with the plates and extending into the said rail-section, as shown best in Fig. 9*, and a bolt, e, extending through the Similar letters of reference designate corre-` plates and rail-secti on and clamping the plates thereto.

The ends f the plates are connected by a bolt, f, with the adjacent end portions of h and plates /i' have ears or bearers,\\'hich are pivotally connected by pins 11.2, and the plates h have annular protuberances ha, which fit cavities in the bolster-rails and receive screws 11.*, which extend through them into the bolster-- rails.

To the bolster side rails, D, propbarsE are pivoted by pins g. The bolster side rails may be supported by their ehanifered portions resting on the sections A' of the side rails; or they may be supported in other positions by means of straps F, of leather or other suitable material, fastened to the said side-rail sections and detachably fastened to the lower portion of the prop-bars. These straps, in order that they may be connected at different points to the prop-bars, are provided with holes, which may be engaged with pins on the prop-bars. The side bolster-rails and prop-bars are kept at the proper distance apart by jointed bracerails G G', pivoted one to each side bolster-rail and pivoted together, as best shown in Fig. 4*. To one of these brace-rails there is fastenedin a fixed position a clip, G2. As here shown, it is fastened thereto by a rod or bolt, G, extending through it and the rail. This clip slips over the other braee-rail when the two braee-rails are extended into line, as best shown in Fig. 4*, and prevents them from being accidentally disarranged. A strap, H, of leather or analogous material, extending from one ot` the propbars to the other, as shown in Fig. 4*, prevents them from spreading too far apart. The side rails, A A', have pivoted to them legs I I', which have rounded portions concentric with the bolts j that pivot them in place, and may be secured in postions at right angles with the side rails, A A', or in line therewith, by means of bolts 7.', which vslide in recesses in the side rails and engage with cavities in the inner sides of the legs, springs being elnployed to inipel them outwardly toward the legs, and force exerted in the reverse direction by the hand being necessary to disengage theni from the legs.

J designates a pair of crossed legs, which are pivoted together between their ends by a pin, I, and connected to the sections A ofthe side rails by connecting-piecesm. rIhese connecting-pieces severally comprise two platelike portions arranged at right angles to each other and braced by flanges extending from one to the other at the edges. One plate of each connecting-piece is pivoted to the inner side of the section A of one of the side rails by a pin, a, and the other plate has pivoted to it bya pin, o, one of the legs J. Therefore the legs J niay be swung down in a plane at right angles to the side rails, so as to contribute to their support or in the saine plane as the side rails and between the saine. Vhen swung into the latter position, their free ends will engage with notches p in the inner sides of the side rails. rlhey will then brace the side rails apart. \Vhen these legs are extended to contribute to the support of the side rails, straps K, which are fastened to the side rails, are

connected to the legs, to prevent theni from folding up between the side rails. These straps have a number of holes, which may be slipped over pins q on the legs, to hold the legs in different angles relatively to the side rails.

I have illustrated in Fig. l by dotted lines how the legs I may be folded against the side rails, and the legs J maybe adjusted at an angle to contribute to the support of the side rails while the lower ends of the side rails and the cross-rail B B' rest on the ground. The dotted line o' represents the ground when the parts are thus adjusted and supported.

When the parts are adjusted to forni a cotbed, the legs I I'and J are adj usted into positions at right angles to the side rails, A A', and are secured in such positions.

The bolster may, as before explained, be adjusted to various angles.

To convert the article into a couch, the legs I will be folded up and the legs J adjusted so that the article will be supported by the legs I', the legs J, and by the lower ends of the side rails resting on the ground.

The article may be converted into a litter by extending the legs I I' into line with the side rails and locking them there.

'Io convert the article into a chair, the legs I I' are extended in line with the side rails, A A', the legs J are swung between the side rails and engaged with the notches p thereof, the side rails are folded at the middle, the bolsterrails are adjusted at about right angles to the side rails, and the prop-bars are unfastened from the straps F and extended about in line with the legs I'. The propbars are maintained in this position by straps L, and the sections A A' of the side rails are maintained at different angles by engaging the straps K at different portions of their length with pins s on the sections A'.

To fold the article, the legs I I' are swung outside the side-rail sections, the side-rail sections are folded close together, the cross-rail sections are folded in between the side-rail sections, the legs J are swung into such positions as to be approximately parallel with each other and with the side-rail sections, and the bolster side-rails, the prop-bars E, and the brace-rails G G are folded into approximately parallel positions.

I nray use a woven fabric, M, stretched between the side rails, the cross-rails B B', and the bolster-rails D as a resting-surface; or I may use strips of wood in lieu thereof. In the latter case the cross-rails would be made rigid, so as to be incapable of folding, and the bolster side rails would be secured together by a continuous rigid 4rail instead of by the brace-rails G G. The article could not then be contracted laterally, but otherwise it could be folded as before explained.

If desirable, I may use straps N, of leather, metal, or other suitable material, extending between the lower end of each of the legs J to the upper end of the other of these legs.

IOO

IIO

Such straps will keep the legs-in their proper relative positions when the article is used as' a cot-bed, and they may serve the same purpose when the article is used as a chair, in 5 lieu of or in addition t0 the notches p in the side-rail sections A. These straps will be detachably connected to the legs. As shown, they have key-hole-shaped slots engaging with nails or screws on the legs.

I do not claim, broadly, hinge-plates provided with rigid projections or spurs, which are adapted to enter the parts to-which the said plates are attached and aid in securing the plates to said parts.

I 5 V-hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the side rails composed of sections hinged together, one pair of sectional side rails being providedwith notches 2o p, and brackets or pieces m, pivoted to the inner sides off the same pair of sectional side rails, of crossed legs J, pivoted together between their ends, and at their upper ends pivoted to the pieces m, all substantially as speciiied, whereby the said legs may be adjusted at 25 right angles to the side rails, or between and parallel with the side rails.

2. The combination, with the side rails, of crossed legs J, and connecting-pieces m, to which the upper ends of the crossed legs are pivoted, and which are pivoted to the side rails, substantially as described, whereby the ends of the legs may be moved toward and from each other, and the legs may be adj usted bodily at right angles to the side rails, or between and parallel with the side rails, and means, substantially such as described, for preventing the movement of the legs relatively to each other when they are swung between the side rails, to cause them t`o brace and hold 4o the side rails at a proper distance apar@ Substantially as set forth.

CALEB P. NASH. Vitnesses:

M. D..LnoNARD, VILLIAM S. NEWTON. 

